2010 BMW M3 oil level

Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Displays for active cruise control
*55
5Tachometer61
6Engine oil temperature
*62
Energy Control
*62
7Display for
>Clock61
>Outside temperature61
>Indicator and warning lamps678Display for
>Position of automatic transmission
*48
>Computer63
>Date of next scheduled service, and
remaining distance to be driven65
>Odometer and trip odometer61
>High-beam assistant
*81
>Initializing the Flat Tire Monitor
*72
>Resetting the Tire Pressure
Monitor
*74
>Checking engine oil level
*137
>Settings and information64
>There is a Check Control
message67
9Fuel gauge62
10Resetting the trip odometer61

Controls overview
62
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant, and
therefore the engine, becomes too hot.
Check coolant level, refer to page140.
Energy Control*
Displays the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current driving
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between
approx. 2107/1006 and approx. 3007/
1506.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a warn-
ing lamp comes on in the instrument cluster.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 16.1 gallons/
61 liters.
You can find information on refueling on
page115.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters for gaso-
line engines and approx. 1.7 US gallons/
6.5 liters for diesel engines, the indicator lamp
and the cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel are displayed briefly. The indica-
tor lamp remains permanently on when the
remaining range is less than approx. 30 miles/
50 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km; otherwise, engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<

Controls overview
64
Settings and information
Operating principle
Certain settings and information can only be
called up when the ignition is switched on. A
number of settings cannot be made while driv-
ing.
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information63
3When the lights are on: instrument lighting
brightness82
4Calling up Check Control67
5Checking engine oil level
*137
6Initializing the Flat Tire Monitor72
Resetting the Tire Pressure Monitor74
7Setting the time67
8Setting the date67
9Viewing service requirement display65
10Setting formats and units of measure,
resetting to factory settings6411Adjusting settings
>Confirmation signals when locking and
unlocking the vehicle20
>Response during unlocking
procedure19
>Automatic locking22
>Pathway lighting79
>Daytime running lights80
>Triple turn signal activation51
>Seat memory
*38
Exiting displays
The outside temperature reading and the time
reappear when you press button2 or if you
make no entries within approx. 15 seconds. If
required, complete the current setting first.
Formats and units of measure
You can set formats and units of measure.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
135
Recommended tire brands
Certain makes of tire are recommended by
BMW for each tire size. They are marked with a
clearly visible BMW designation on the sidewall
of the tire.
When properly used, these tires meet the high-
est standards in terms of safety and handling
characteristics.
Special characteristics of winter tires
BMW recommends winter tires for winter roads
or at temperatures below +45°F/+76.
Although all-season M+S tires provide better
winter traction than summer tires, they gener-
ally fail to provide the same levels of cold-
weather performance as winter tires.
Pay attention to speed
Always comply with the speed limit for the
winter tires mounted on your car; failure
to do so could result in tire damage and acci-
dents.<
If the car is capable of speeds higher than that
permitted for the winter tires, a label stating the
maximum permitted speed for the mounted
tires must be displayed in your field of view.
Specialist tire dealers and your BMW center
can supply these labels.
Storage
Always store wheels and tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as possible.
Always protect tires against all contact with oil,
grease and fuels. Do not exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall
of the tire.
Swapping wheels between axles
BMW advises against swapping wheels
between the front and rear axles, even if all tires
have the same size, as this could impair driving
characteristics. If the tires are of mixed sizes,
swapping wheels between the axles is not per-
missible.
Snow chains*
Only certain fine-link snow chains have been
tested by BMW, classified as safe for use and
recommended. Consult your BMW center for
more information.
Snow chains must be mounted in pairs and on
the rear wheels only. Observe the manufac-
turer's instructions when mounting snow
chains. Do not exceed a speed of 30 mph or
50 km/h.
Do not initialize the Flat Tire Monitor if
snow chains are mounted; otherwise, the
instrument might issue an incorrect reading.
When driving with snow chains, you may find it
helpful to activate DTC temporarily, refer to
page70.<

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
137
Important parts of the engine compartment
1Gasoline engine: expansion tank for cool-
ant, refer to page139
Diesel engine: the expansion tank is located
on the other side of the vehicle
2Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system,
refer to page523Jump-starting connection, refer to
page156
4Filler neck for engine oil, refer to Adding
engine oil
5Dipstick for engine oil, refer to Checking oil
level
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking the engine oil level with the
dipstick*
1.Park the vehicle on a level surface with the
engine at operating temperature, i.e. after
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6.5 miles/
10 km.
2.Switch off the engine.
3.After approx. 5 minutes, pull out the
dipstick5 and wipe it off with a lint-free
cloth, paper towel or similar material.
4.Carefully push the dipstick all the way back
into the measuring tube and pull it out again.
The oil level must be between the two
markings on the dipstick.
The oil quantity between the two markings on
the dipstick is equivalent to approx. 1 US quart/
1liter.

Under the hood
138 The oil level must not be above the upper
marking of the dipstick. Too much oil will
harm the engine.<
Checking the engine oil level
electronically*
Your car is equipped with an electronic oil-level
monitor.
For a precise measurement and display of the
oil level, it is necessary that the engine be at
operating temperature, i.e. after uninterrupted
driving for at least approx. 6.5 miles/10 km. You
can have the oil level displayed while you are
driving, or while the vehicle is at a standstill on a
level surface and the engine is running.
You can have the oil level reading displayed in
the instrument cluster.
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol is shown in the display, accompa-
nied by the word "OIL".
2.Press button 2 in the turn indicator lever.
The oil level is checked and the reading dis-
played.
Possible displays
1Oil level OK
2Oil level is being checked.
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at
a standstill on a level surface, or about
5 minutes while the car is on the move.
3Oil level down to minimum:
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to
Adding engine oil on page139.
4Oil level is too high.
Too much oil will harm the engine.
Have the vehicle checked without
delay.<
5The oil level sensor is defective.
Do not add engine oil. You can continue
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer
to page65. Have the system checked as
soon as possible.

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
139
Adding engine oil
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of engine
oil no earlier than when the following warning
lamp lights up in the instrument cluster, or, if the
car has a gasoline engine, when the oil level
monitor shows "+1qt" or "+1l", or, if the car has
a diesel engine, when the oil level has dropped
to just above the lower marking on the dipstick,
refer to page137.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km;
otherwise, the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Keep oils, greases, etc. out of the reach of
children and comply with the relevant
warnings on the containers. Otherwise, health
hazards may result.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at your BMW center or at
a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel.
Oil types
Do not use oil additives as this could
result in engine damage.<
Specified engine oils
Your service center can advise you on which
engine oils have been approved by the manu-
facturer of your vehicle.
The engine oil quality is critical for the life of the
engine.
Approved oils can be identified by the following
specification:
Approved oils belong to the following viscosity
classes: SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40
and SAE 5W-30.
Alternative oil types
If the approved engine oils are not available, up
to 1 US quart/1 liter of another oil with the fol-
lowing specification may be used:
API SM or higher
Coolant
Do not add coolant to the cooling system
when the engine is hot. Escaping coolant
can cause burns.<
Coolant consists of half water and half additive.
Not all commercially available additives are suit-
able for your BMW. Ask your BMW center for
suitable additives.
Only use suitable additives; otherwise,
engine damage may result. Because
additives are harmful to your health, it is impor-
tant to follow the instructions on the contain-
ers.<
Gasoline engine
Preferred: BMW Longlife-01
BMW Longlife-01 FE
Alternatively: BMW Longlife-98
Diesel engine
Preferred: BMW Longlife-04

Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Mobility
169
>Radar sensor dirty Clean the radar sensor, refer to
page58.
Active cruise control failed Keep a safe distance.
Have the system checked.
Park Distance Control failed Have the system checked.
>High-beam assistant inactive Clean the sensor field on the front of the
interior rearview mirror, refer to
page82.
>High-beam assistant malfunction-
ingHave the system checked by your near-
est BMW center.
>Sensitivity of the high-beam assis-
tant has been changedThere is a risk that oncoming traffic may
be blinded. Have the system checked
by your nearest BMW center.
Bulb of exterior lighting system failed Have the exterior lighting checked as
soon as possible.
Low-beam headlamp or fog lamp failed Have the low beams checked as soon
as possible.
High-beam headlamp failed Have the high-beam headlamps
checked.
Adaptive light control failed
Coolant level too low Add coolant immediately, refer to
page139.
Engine oil pressure too low Stop immediately and switch off the
engine. You cannot continue your jour-
ney. Contact your BMW center.
Engine oil level too low Add engine oil immediately; refer to
page137 for more information.
Diesel particle filter malfunctioning You can continue your journey.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible.
12Cause What to do